The other big concern is the ongoing competition with the Seminole tribe's three local casinos, which will soon have blackjack and baccarat under a gambling compact with the state. Broward pari-mutuels want legislative approval for blackjack, too.

More slots to the south will be one more challenge for the three Broward pari-mutuel casinos, whose slots have performed below expectations in their first full year.

Monthly slot machine revenue at Mardi Gras, Gulfstream Park and the Isle Casino at Pompano Park topped $20 million for the first time in December. The casinos are on track for another record performance this month, according to state figures.

All told, the three Broward pari-mutuels casinos have generated $221 million in slots revenue since opening, with $110 million going to the state.

"Obviously we're better off with less competition," Adkins said.

But that doesn't mean the tracks are working to torpedo the Miami-Dade vote.

"I'm all in favor of the Miami-Dade referendum passing," said Allan Solomon, executive vice president of the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach. "We started out as partners with them on the statewide amendment [in 2004]. This is just following through on what we all started."

Solomon said slots' approval in Miami-Dade could bolster the pari-mutuels' efforts to get a lower tax rate and table games from the Legislature this spring. "We'd have a united front," he said.

Miami-Dade voters already rejected slots once, in March 2005. If they reject slots again, Calder Race Course, Flagler Greyhound Track and Miami Jai-Alai would have to wait two years for another vote.

Solomon isn't worried about losing business, saying most of his casino's customers are from Broward and south Palm Beach County. Flagler and Miami Jai-Alai are near Miami International Airport. Calder Race Course is near Dolphins Stadium on the county line and could attract gamblers from western suburbs like Miramar and Pembroke Pines.

Gulfstream Park and Mardi Gras are a mile apart in Hallandale Beach. The Isle at Pompano's main competition is the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino, which plans a major expansion.

Dania Jai-Alai in Dania Beach has not installed any slot machines yet, with parent company Boyd Gaming, of Las Vegas, waiting to see how the tax and table-game situation unfolds before building anything new.

Gulfstream Park, which recently cut its machine total from 1,200 to 675, has started building a retail/condo project next to its casino.

With revenues taxed at 50 percent, the Broward casinos say they are hamstrung in their ability to compete against the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and its massive restaurant/nightclub complex near Hollywood.

Even with the Miami-Dade vote, the Seminoles are in a no-lose situation.

Under the terms of the compact, the tribe is supposed to pay at least $100 million a year to the state. But if slots are approved in Miami-Dade and the Seminoles' annual gambling revenue falls below the current level of $1.34 billion, the tribe's payments would stop.

And the Seminoles would still get blackjack, baccarat and Vegas-style slots.

The compact still must survive a legal challenge, with the Florida Supreme Court set to hear arguments Jan. 30.

Michael Mayo's column runs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Read him online weekdays at sun-sentinel.com/mayoblog. Reach him at mmayo@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4508.